ABCD is a web‐based open and free software suite for library management derived from the UNESCO CDS/ISIS software technology. The first version was launched officially in December 2009 with a MARC 21 bibliographic format database. This paper aims to detail the building of the UNIMARC bibliographic format database for ABCD.
ABCD provides tools for building any MARC‐like or structured bibliographic format database; this feature is used to set up a UNIMARC bibliographic format database according to its structure as defined by IFLA. As a member of the ISIS family of software applications, ABCD provides a robust formatting language that allows the output of records according to the needs of the user.
ABCD provides a robust platform for building a UNIMARC bibliographic format database and many other facilities for editing records. But, it is not yet possible to have more than one active fixed length coded field in a worksheet.
CDS/ISIS users who have data in the UNIMARC format on old versions of CDS/ISIS software applications now have the opportunity to migrate their data into the new application without changing their structure. Aslo, a second international MARC format is provided to new CDS/ISIS users.
